When you’re looking for the best place to buy tires, there’s certainly no shortage of options. But between warehouse clubs, online tire merchants and independent tire retailers, the prices and quality of service can vary quite a bit.
In this article, I’ll cover where to find affordable tires, highlight which retailers do it best and cheapest, and I’ll take a close look at the top six places to buy tires.
I’ve researched the prices and process of buying new tires at a variety of popular tire retailers to see where you’ll get the best deal and the best customer experience.
If you’re looking for a quick answer on where you should shop for your next set of tires, I recommend checking out Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s Tire Center first. Even if you factor in these warehouse clubs’ annual membership fees, you may still get the best value.
For a great selection online, check out Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct. Finally, for a balance of low prices and a huge selection in-store or online, Walmart Tire Center is another great option.
If you plan on purchasing tires soon, you’ll want to consider the price of tires that fit your vehicle as well as a few other factors such as the cost of installation and additional services.
“Buying tires has never been so cost competitive, so it’s very important to comparison shop,” money expert Clark Howard says. “Service after the sale is really important, especially if you live in a city with lots of potholes.”
Based on our research, Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Tire Center offer some of the best overall tire-buying experiences including low prices, free services after the sale and convenience.
I’ve found these six tire retailers to be the best places to shop.
| Store | Installation Price Per Tire | Key Features & Services | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart | $17 | - Cheapest tires on average - Biggest selection of brands - Road hazard warranty available for $10 per tire |
Firestone, Michelin, Cooper Tires and 69 other brands |
| Costco | $19. 99 | - Installation charge is included in the quoted price - Best road hazard warranty (5 years) - Free lifetime maintenance | BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Michelin, Firestone |
| Sam's Club | $20 | - Third-cheapest tires on average - Second-best road hazard warranty (4 years) - Flat repairs on members’ tires even if purchased elsewhere | GoodYear, Pirelli, BFGoodrich and 8 other brands |
| BJ's Tire Center | $20 | - Free lifetime maintenance - 3-year road hazard warranty - Installation is automatically added during checkout | Michelin, BFGoodrich, Bridgestone and 12 other brands |
| Tire Rack | $25 | - Biggest overall selection of tire sizes and models - Online-only with fast and free shipping to you or an installer - Get a discount if you pick up your tires from a distribution center | BFGoodrich, Kumho, Michelin and 27 other brands |
| Discount Tire Direct | $22 | - Second-cheapest tires on average - Online-only tire store - Second-biggest selection of brands - Fast and free shipping to you or an installer | Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin and 58 other brands |
Below, you’ll find additional information on each tire retailer and head-to-head comparisons of tire prices, selection of brands, cost of installation, free services and warranty information.
To find the best places to buy tires, I considered various popular online and in-store tire retailers and then weighed several factors in my own research. These factors included tire price, cost of installation, selection, free services and warranty information.
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In 2019, Consumer Reports (subscription required) surveyed nearly 50,000 of its subscribers to ask about cost, selection, sales service and free perks when it came to purchasing tires. The magazine collected data on 31 tire stores.
I compared those 31 tire stores to the retailers where our team at ClarkDeals.com has found the best deals. Then I narrowed the selection down to 10 retailers that were all highly ranked by Consumer Reports. Here’s the list of 10: Walmart, Sam’s Club, Discount Tire Direct, BJ’s Tire Center, Town Fair Tire Centers, Firestone Complete, Amazon.com, Tire Rack, Goodyear and Costco.
From there, I researched the prices and process of buying tires at each store. In my experience, you can find some of the best prices and overall buying experiences at Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Tire Center, Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct.
To determine which place is ultimately the best choice for purchasing your next set of tires, I took a closer look at the following factors:
Additionally, I entered information about my own car on each retailer’s website to see where I’d end up getting the best deal.
While there are many factors to take into account when you’re deciding where to buy tires, cost is certainly a big one. Of course, prices vary and change all the time. You should shop for the best price on tires that fit your vehicle specifically.
Then, once you’ve found the best price, make your final decision based on the factors I’ve outlined below.
To get an idea of how to accurately price compare across top tire retailers, I looked at the current prices of two specific popular tires at each store. Then, I checked out the range of prices and availability for tires for two popular vehicles.
In the table below, you’ll see prices for a Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack 215/55R17 tire that fits my 2017 Toyota Camry and for a Michelin Defender LTX M/S 20″ tire that fits the popular Ford-F150. Prices are accurate as of September 2022.
| Cost of Bridgestone Turanza 215/55R17 Tires | Cost of Michelin Defender LTX M/S 20” Tires | Price Range for Tires That Fit a 2017 Toyota Camry | Price Range for 20” Tires That Fit a 2020 Ford-F150 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costco | $212.99 | $244.99 | $135.99 to $245.99 (18 options) | $225.99 to $263. 99. (9 options) |
| BJ’s Tire Center | $212.99 | $261.99 | $130.99 to $285.99 (34 options) | $175.99 to $339.99 (24 options) |
| Tire Rack | $212.99 | $263.99 | $108.08 to $239.27 (104 options) | $183.81 to $381.01 (91 options) |
| Sam’s Club | $253.47 | $263.99 | $99.13 to $253.47 (52 options) | $175.47 to $302.49 (46 options) |
| Discount Tire Direct | $213.00 | $264.00 | $85.69 to $239.27 (86 options) | $153.42 to $454.00 (84 options) |
| Walmart | $212.99 | $263.99 | $80.09 to $305.99 (215 options) | $123.56 to $341.06 (184 options) |
In addition to the prices above, it’s worth noting that when I searched for the Bridgestone Turanza tires, there were promotions available at Discount Tire Direct and Tire Rack. Discount Tire Direct offered a $70 mail-in rebate on a set of four tires with installation, while Tire Rack also offered a $70 mail-in rebate plus an additional $30 discount if you use a Tire Rack credit card.
In the past, I’ve also seen savings of $110-$150 on a set of four tires with installation on the same tires at Costco and BJ’s Tire Center. With sales and rebates available throughout the year, you’ll likely be able to grab a great deal.
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After adding the purchase of all four tires, adding the cost of installation (which we’ll look at next) and subtracting the discounts available in September 2022, here’s what my subtotals would be at each tire store for a set of Bridgestone Turanza tires to fit my 2017 Toyota Camry:
As you can see, promotions and rebates can make a huge difference in the total cost of your purchase. This is why it’s important to comparison shop.
Of course, prices vary greatly and change often.
For these reasons, I recommend that you follow these steps to find the cheapest tires for your vehicle:
Once you know where you can get the best prices on tires for your vehicles, it’s time to consider the following additional factors.
In addition to purchasing your tires, you’ll likely also need professional installation.
That usually means you’ll be looking at an additional charge, so take that into account before you make your purchase.
As of September 2022, here’s how much you can expect to pay for tire installation:
| Store | Cost Per Tire | Total Cost |
| Walmart | $17 | $68 |
| Costco | $19.99 | $79.96 |
| Discount Tire Direct | $22 | $88 |
| BJ’s Tire Center | $20 | $80 |
| Sam’s Club | $20 | $80 |
| Tire Rack | $25 | $100 |
If you plan on having your tires installed at Walmart, know that installation will cost an additional $11 per tire if you bring in tires that you purchased elsewhere. And if you want the road hazard protection warranty, the cost of installation for tires purchased at Walmart is $25 each.
At Costco, the cost of installation is included in the quoted price of the tires. This may be one reason that the initial prices seem higher than competitors on some tires, but after factoring in installation, Costco could be one of your cheapest options.
Since Discount Tire Direct and Tire Rack are online tire stores, you’ll need to choose a place to get your tires installed. The price in the table above is the average cost of installation at the companies’ partnering installers, but you can take the tires anywhere.
At BJ’s Tire Center, the cost of installation is automatically added when you check out. Whether you’re shopping online or in-store, you can expect this payment to be required upfront with the purchase of new tires.
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Based on this information, Walmart offers the cheapest installation, but if the total cost of your tires is cheaper at Costco than the total cost of tires and installation at Walmart, Costco may be your best bet.
Whether you’re loyal to a certain brand or you know exactly which tire you’re looking for, selection may be another important factor to consider when shopping for tires.
Generally speaking, you’ll find the biggest selection of tires at Walmart which carries 72 tire brands. Discount Tire Direct offers the next-biggest selection with 61 brands followed by Tire Rack which offers 30. BJ’s Tire Center carries 15 different tire brands, while Sam’s Club carries 11 and Costco carries only four.
Below, you’ll find a full list of tire brands (listed alphabetically) carried by each retailer:
Perhaps one of the most important factors to consider before buying new tires is the maintenance and aftercare that you’ll be paying for.
Based on my research, Costco offers some of the best free services, lifetime maintenance and road hazard warranty available. With a tire purchase at Costco, you’ll also get free lifetime inflation pressure checks, tire balancing, tire rotations and flat repairs. Plus, the road hazard warranty covers tire repairs and replacements for up to five years.
Sam’s Club also offers great services and aftercare with the purchase of tires. No-charge services include balance and rotations, air pressure and tread depth checks, 50-mile re-torques and other services for your vehicle such as wiper blade installation, battery installation and battery checks. The warranty lasts up to four years and covers repairs and replacements. However, flat tire repair is a Sam’s Club membership benefit no matter where you bought the tires.
At BJ’s Tire Center, tire purchases come with free lifetime tire rotation, wheel rebalancing, flat repairs and inflation checks. The full road hazard warranty lasts up to three years and covers repairs as well as replacements.
Walmart includes lifetime balance and rotation every 7,500 miles and 50-mile lug re-torques with the installation. For $10 more per tire ($25 per tire total), you can also get the road hazard protection warranty that covers flat repairs and eligible replacements.
Coming in last for services and aftercare, Discount Tire Direct and Tire Rack each offer a 30-day return policy on unused tires that you aren’t satisfied with. Beyond the return policy, tires are covered by the standard manufacturer’s warranty which includes workmanship and material defects. Warranty lengths vary by manufacturer.
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Based on my research including the selection of tires and cost of installation as well as included services, here are more details on the top six places to consider making your purchase.
Walmart TiresScreenshot from WalmartIf you’re strictly looking for a good price, Walmart may be worth considering early in your search for tires.
The tire center offers a huge selection of tires with some of the lowest available starting prices. Plus, Walmart offers the cheapest installation at $17 per tire.
You can choose from a huge selection of brands including Firestone, Michelin, Cooper, Goodyear, and BFGoodrich. Plus, you can shop online or in-store.
According to a 2019 study by Consumer Reports, Walmart’s sales, service and installation quality earned average ratings, though customers agree that the installation time is longer than average and there’s a substantial lack of free perks. Still, it can be a great place to purchase cheap tires.
Walmart also offers its Lifetime Balance and Rotation Plan for $14 per tire. For that price, Walmart will rotate and rebalance your tires at no charge for the life of the tires.
Compared to the other retailers on this list, here are a few of the biggest benefits and drawbacks to keep in mind if you’re thinking about buying tires from Walmart.
Pros:
To learn more about Walmart Tires, including what you can expect while making your first purchase, check out these five things to know.
While Costco may not be cheapest option on the list, it is one of the highest rated. Plus, several times a year, the warehouse club will discount select brands of tires by $40 to $80 and offer installation for just a penny per tire (regularly $19.99 per tire).
Costco’s selection may not be the largest, but there’s a big emphasis on staple brands like Michelin, Bridgestone and B.F. Goodrich. Plus, with every installation, you’ll receive free inflation pressure checks, tire balancing, tire rotations, flat repairs and a five-year road hazard warranty.
“I buy my tires at Costco when they offer the double discount of penny installation and an additional incentive for using my Costco Visa card,” Clark notes. “That works out to be a savings of $130!”
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Here are a few of the biggest advantages and disadvantages to be aware of when it comes to buying tires from Costco.
For more information, check out these five things you should know before getting new tires at Costco.
Sam’s Club also offers very competitive prices on popular tire brands including Michelin, BFGoodrich, Goodyear and Pirelli. Installation averages around $20 per tire depending on your vehicle and location.
Members can order tires online and get them installed at a nearby Sam’s Club, or you can buy the tires in-store.
Customers who participated in the Consumer Reports survey said that the installation quality was very good and rated the free perks as excellent.
Tire installation at Sam’s Club includes 24-hour emergency roadside assistance, road hazard protection, rotation, balancing and flat repair for the lifetime of the tires.
You’ll also find promotions, discounts and rebates available year-round on select tire brands. For these reasons, it’s definitely worth paying the difference compared to cheaper tires at Walmart.
Here are a few of the biggest pros and cons when it comes to buying tires from Sam’s Club.
Pros:For more information about buying tires at Sam’s Club, check out these five things to know.
BJ’s Tire Center is another great option for buying cheap tires. You’ll find mail-in rebates and discounts available throughout the year, and installation costs $20 per tire.
Customers agreed that the product selection and installation time at BJ’s are good and gave sales services and installation even better marks.
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What makes BJ’s one of the best options are all the free perks you get with tire installation. You’ll receive tire rotation, wheel rebalancing, flat repairs, inflation checks and a full road hazard warranty all at no charge.
BJ’s also offers a three-point tire promise, including an incredible value with a $20 installation, top-brand quality and premium service.
Based on my research, here are the biggest pros and cons for buying tires at BJ’s Tire Center.
Pros:
If you’re a BJ’s Wholesale Club member, be sure to check out these five things to know before buying BJ’s tires.
If you’re comfortable shopping for tires online, you’ll most likely find what you’re looking for at Tire Rack. This online tire retailer offers the biggest selection of tire models. When I checked out the selection that fit my Toyota Camry, there were 104 tires to choose from.
Additionally, you can find a pretty good deal compared to traditional brick-and-mortar tire stores. On average, Tire Rack’s prices are on par with Goodyear and Costco. You can also check out the tire sales and deals page for current promotions and rebates.
When you order tires from Tire Rack, you can have them shipped to your door or straight to a recommended local installer.
You’ll also have the option to pick up the tires yourself from the nearest distribution center for additional savings.
Here are the biggest pros and cons that I found with Tire Rack.
Pros:Discount Tire Direct is another great tire retailer that offers affordable tires online. You’ll find mail-in rebates and discounts available on popular tires throughout the year and installation averages around $22 per store. Additionally, you’ll nearly always find deals and rebates available, which is a great way to get the best price.
Customers agree that everything from the selection to the sales service to shipping is excellent. Discount Tire Direct carries more than 60 tire brands including Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear and Michelin.
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As with any online tire retailer, the installation price and services can vary depending on where you choose to get the tires installed, and you won’t be getting many free perks with an online retailer.
Compared to the other tire stores on this list, here are a few of the biggest pros and cons that I found with Discount Tire Direct.
Pros:If you’re thinking about buying tires online, here are five things to know before shopping at Discount Tire Direct.
You’ll most likely find great prices on tires at Walmart, Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct, but be sure to find out what’s included with that price. For a more inclusive purchase, consider shopping at Sam’s Club, BJ’s Tire Center or Costco.
Also, be sure to keep an eye out for deals, promotions and rebates online. In my experience, these can lead to a major difference in the total price. You’ll most likely find the best deals at warehouse clubs like Costco, BJ’s Tire Center and Sam’s Club.
However, online stores like Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct (as well as Walmart Tire Center) offer the largest selection of tires. Plus, I’ve seen great deals and rebates at Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct in the past.
If cheap tires and installation are your priorities, Walmart may be the best place to shop. However, prices vary greatly and change frequently. Plus, every vehicle requires specific tire sizes and types.
For these reasons, it’s important to comparison shop yourself to determine where you’ll find the best price.
In addition to price, you should also consider free services, lifetime maintenance and general aftercare. In these categories, Costco and Sam’s Club come out on top. Depending on what kind of conditions you drive in, these may be the most important factors to consider before buying new tires.
Each of these retailers allows you to purchase online and have the tires shipped and installed at your nearest location, and that’s a great way to get the best price.
Of course, it’s important to keep up with regular tire maintenance. Know when your tires will need to be changed and plan ahead. You’ll likely find more deals just before the seasons change around April and October. Either way, you’ll have more time to compare prices if you know the purchase is coming up!
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There are few things more important to your car than its tires, which is why keeping them in good shape is so critical to staying safe on the road. And when your tires are at the end of their lifespan, it's important to know where you can buy the best replacements out there. Most people default to the nearest auto shop or brick-and-mortar tire store, but there are plenty of great places online that can get you back on the road quickly, affordably and safely.
But what if you decided to order new tires in advance, maybe to have one on hand if you run over a nail? Or perhaps you know your existing tires are due for a change. That's why many people are now trying to seek out the best place to buy tires online for their cars, SUVs and trucks. If you decide to go the online tire store route, you can usually have them drop-shipped to a local tire shop of your choice and installed. (Bonus: This means the shop will take care of tire rotation, wheel alignment and tire disposal when switching out the old for the new.
) Keep reading for the best place to buy tires online, as well as some tire-buying tips and an explanation of how we arrived at our selections.
Tire Rack
If you're an automotive enthusiast, you're likely familiar with the offerings from Tire Rack. The Indiana-based online tire retailer and wheel seller has been the go-to for that hard-to-find wheel, offering tire sizes for everything from classic cars to trackable vehicles. Tire Rack tests tires on its track and on a road course. It also uses a hockey rink for ice driving and winter tires testing. It rates the tires on its site and you can browse its results to find a quality tire and best tire deals that fit your needs.
Tire Rack's site has a Tire Decision Guide, a tool that helps guide you to the right tires for your vehicle. The survey suggests the right tires for you based on the answers that you supply.
You can prioritize pricing and performance and find the best tire brand option for your needs. You can also search by type of tire such as summer tires, winter tires or all season tires. If you prefer to search by brand, you'll find a wide selection including Bridgestone, BFGoodrich, Goodyear tires, Michelin tires, Cooper tires options and more.
According to Matt Edmonds, executive vice president at Tire Rack, if you order a tire that doesn't appear to fit the vehicle you own, one of Tire Rack's customer service representatives will reach out to double confirm that you want the tires you have chosen. That's because returning tires that don't fit is not easy. Tire Rack does allow returns within 30 days of your tire purchase, but you'll need to call its customer service line to find the best solution to return tires that aren't right for you.
Tire Rack also offers a free two-year road hazard warranty on all the tires it sells (on top of the manufacturer's warranty for whatever tires you choose).
If you get a flat thanks to a road condition like a pothole or hit a nail on your way to work, Tire Rack will cover your tire repair or replacement with limitations. Conditions do apply, so be sure to read the details of the warranty.
For tire installation, Tire Rack works with local installers all over the country that have been vetted by the company. You choose your tires and can have them dropped shipped to a local tire center that is a Tire Rack-approved installer. Installation costs vary based on location and types of tires. You can also utilize Tire Rack-approved mobile installers as well and have the tires drop-shipped to your home. Tire Rack offers free shipping on orders over $50.
The Indiana-based company also does offer sales and discounted tires. Edmonds notes that nothing is wrong with the tires the company has on sale, and in many cases the tire deals are offered at a discount because there are new versions coming in, or the tires have been sitting in climate-controlled storage and are two years old or more.
In Consumer Reports' Tire Store report, Tire Rack performed well across the nine categories that CR readers were asked to assess and scored a 89 out of a max score of 92 on its rating scale. The online retailer was knocked for its lack of "free perks," which included free add-ons like free tire rotation, tire balancing and tire mounting. It does, however, have an A-plus Better Business Bureau rating.
See at Tire Rack
Tirebuyer.com
Tirebuyer.com offers similar features to Tire Rack and Discount Tire (below) by allowing you to purchase tires online, ship them to a local installer, and get them installed. Tirebuyer.com is owned by one of the largest tire distributors in the US, American Tire Distributors.
If you buy your car tires at Tirebuyer.com, it'll ship them free to one of its 10,000 installers all over the country.
However, the online tire retailer will also ship them to your home free of charge. Because it is part of such a large network of tire distributors, Tirebuyer says you can get your tires to your installer within 24 to 48 hours of ordering.
Tirebuyer does not offer a robust sizing tool to choose the right tires like Discount Tire and Tire Rack do, but should you end up with the wrong tires, you have a few options to return them. If you had the tires shipped to an installer, returns are free and handled at the installer. TireBuyer has its own network of trucks, which makes it easier to handle these kinds of returns. If you had the tires sent to your home or a non-Tirebuyer shop, you'll need to use FedEx to ship. The return shipping fees (usually $7.50 per tire when you drop the tires off at a FedEx location, or $15 per tire when you arrange a FedEx pickup) will come out of your refund.
Tirebuyer.com also offers a relatively liberal return policy for tires that have been used.
You have up to 45 days to return tires, though there are some rules (they can't have been used off-road, they can't have uneven wear, etc.) that you can learn more about here.
One thing to note, when we tried to find tires for our 1989 Volvo 240 DL Wagon, Tirebuyer.com had no suggestions in or around the Los Angeles area. Also, Tirebuyer did not show up on Consumer Reports' survey, but like Tire Rack it has an A-plus BBB rating.
See at Tirebuyer.com
Discount Tire
Discount Tire is a bit of a hybrid in the online/brick-and-mortar tire space. While you can purchase tires online through its site Discount Tire Direct, you can also have them drop-shipped to your local Discount Tire or America's Tire shop (the name is different depending on where in the country you live).
You can also choose to shop in-store for the right tire at a Discount Tire as well.
You can choose to shop for tires at one of the local shops or you can shop online, have the tires drop-shipped to the Discount Tire or America's Tire local shop of your choice, and have them installed.
If you aren't sure which tires would work for your vehicle, Discount Tire offers Treadwell, an in-house developed system that uses data from customers as well as real-world testing data (like that that Tire Rack creates) to help you find the right tires for your needs. You put in your vehicle year, make, and model; how many miles you drive per year; and the ZIP code you drive in, then the system gives you a number of suggestions based on your input. You can prioritize handling, stopping distance, the life of the tire and comfort and noise, from which the system will give you a recommended list. Discount Tire offers free ground shipping in the 48 contiguous states.
The site also allows you to make an appointment online to have your new tires installed.
Discount Tire offers a handy tire size calculator in case it seems like you can't find the exact size that is currently on your vehicle.
Discount Tire says that if you're not satisfied with your purchase, it will do its best to make it right. If you've purchased tires online and they turn out to be wrong, you can return them, but the language in the return policy is a bit strict for Discount Tire Direct. You have to repackage them correctly with the original packaging or you could forfeit your return.
The tire vendor also offers a pretty robust road-hazard warranty, too, for a price. While it offers a pro-rated and free road hazard coverage, it also offers a warranty that extends for three years. It covers road hazard damage including tire repair for the first three years of tire ownership with its Certificate program that you can opt for when you purchase and have tires installed at one of its shops. The prices can range from $10 per tire to as much as $100 per tire, depending on how pricey the tires you purchased are.
For those on the hunt for cheap tire deals, Discount Tire does offer rebates and promotions for cheap tires that are always changing. You can see more about the most recent discounts and promotions here.
Discount Tire finishes high in the Consumer Reports survey, garnering 90 out of a max score of 92 on tire reviews, but, like Tire Rack, it also scored lower on the Free Perks scale. Its lower BBB rating is a result of 23 complaints against the company and failure to respond to 21 of them, as of this writing. Most complaints, however, deal with specific Discount Tire locations.
See at Discount Tire
Amazon
You guessed it: You can, in fact, buy tires online at Amazon from brands including BF Goodrich, Good Year and many others. You can buy both tire and wheel assemblies as well as tires, and it will ship them to a local store or to your home depending on what you prefer.
You should know which tires will fit the vehicle you are shopping for before you start poking around on Amazon. Unlike Discount Tire and Tire Rack, Amazon offers a very simple series of drop-downs to estimate which tires might work on your vehicle. If you are a Prime member, you do get free shipping and, depending on the tire you buy, free returns.
Amazon also offers installation locations at tire shops and home installation through its less well-known Amazon Home Services platform. You can choose to use the installation service regardless of whether you purchase tires from Amazon, too. Amazon works with highly rated (on its site) local businesses to connect you with the right installer for your needs. Installation cost is based on which company you choose to go through and can range anywhere from $40 for two tires to be installed, to $100 for four tires. The service gets 4.8 out of 5 stars on more than 1,200 reviews.
The warranty question gets a bit muddier with Amazon, too.
Essentially, Amazon does not offer any kind of road hazard protection like Tire Rack and Discount Tire, it offers the warranty that comes with the tire from the manufacturer, which only covers things like faulty materials or uneven wear (but only under very specific circumstances). Many buyers on Amazon complain about the fact that they struggled to get warranty information from Amazon despite their purchases. You'll need to register your chosen tires with the manufacturer to utilize the manufacturer's warranty. Additionally, each installer will offer various warranties, so check with the installer you choose to find out what might be covered and what won't be, should you decide that you want a road hazard warranty.
Returns are handled the same way that you would handle returns for any item you purchase from Amazon, which also means that return policies are largely up to the sellers of each specific tire. In most cases you can take the tires to an Amazon Locker, UPS location or another mailing facility to return them if they don't fit your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the return policy on the specific tires you are purchasing before deciding to drop a bunch of cash, though.
Sales and discounts on Amazon are a bit hard to find since it will vary widely based on both the manufacturer and the seller. If you choose to go with Amazon it's best to really read the fine print and know what you are signing up for when purchasing tires via its online platform.
The BBB rates Amazon as a whole an A-. It does not offer scores for the Amazon Home Services platform. Consumer Reports' Tire Survey did not include Amazon.
See at Amazon
Priority Tire
Priority Tire is your basic online tire seller. Unlike Tire Rack, Discount Tire and Amazon, Priority Tire focuses solely on tires and does not offer wheel and tire packages.
Priority Tire also does not offer to ship the tires to a local installer. It only ships tires to your home, and you'll need to haul them to an installer or find a mobile installer who is willing to come to you to do the work. It ships free via FedEx Ground, and while it does offer shipping to places like Alaska and Puerto Rico, it charges for those locations (around $150 to $200 per tire).
If you happen to live near one of the three warehouses located in Florida, Pennsylvania or Texas, you can order tires and pick them up at the location. Priority Tire says it offers some promotions for local pickup.
Like Amazon, Priority Tire offers a basic tire selector that defaults to the tire brand manufacturer's suggested tire size and type. If you want anything more robust, you'll need to use one of the other sites to choose a different size or type of tire that will still fit your vehicle.
Priority Tire does offer a 90-day window for returns, and like Tire Rack and Discount Tire, it will work with you to make things right if you get the wrong tires.
One significant thing of note is that, like Amazon, Priority Tire does not offer a road hazard warranty at all. If you want to take advantage of a manufacturer's warranty, you'll need to go through the tire manufacturer. Also, Priority Tire does not offer rebates though it does offer a revolving set of deals listed on its site.
See at Priority Tire
Enlarge ImageBesides cost, you should also consider warranty options and installation convenience when shopping online for tires.
Tire RackFor each retailer, we looked at the following important factors that affect both your bottom line and the amount of hassle you have to go through to get new tires. We considered warranty, installation convenience and cost, then used Consumer Reports' most recent tire retailer satisfaction survey to help determine how happy people were with their purchases from these national retailers, as well as each company's rating on the Better Business Bureau.
The Consumer Reports tire reviews survey looked at nine different sectors across 29 national retailers. We used CR's estimated cost per tire as a reference point for our comparison, too. We also spoke to Gene Petersen, tire program leader at Consumer Reports, about the testing. And we connected with Tire Rack's Matt Edmonds, as quoted above, for general tips for finding the right tires for you and saving money in the process.
According to Petersen at Consumer Reports, there are more than 33,000 independent tire retailers in the US. That means there's a lot to sort through when you're shopping for them. Tire shops can range widely in size and how they sell tires. Everyone from big-box stores like Costco and Sam's Club and Walmart to small, local, independent tire shops offer tires for sale. These days, online retailers are also making it incredibly easy to buy tires online and have them drop-shipped to a location of your choice when you're ready to have them installed.
Priority Tire offers an impressive range of affordably priced tire options.
Priority TirePetersen advises that the best way to make the most of your tire shopping is to take the entire cost of both purchasing the tires and getting them installed into consideration. "It's not like a TV," he said. "You buy a tire and you still have to have someone put it on your car."
The first thing to do when shopping for new tires is to figure out the right size for your vehicle and the features that you want for your specific needs. To find the right size, look at the outside rim of the rubber tire (also known as the sidewall) and find the number and letter combination that is divided by a slash. You can also find your tire size by looking at the inside frame of the driver's side door.
You should take into consideration things like the environment you'll be driving in (snowy, icy, wet), the conditions of the roads you'll be driving on (sandy, dirt, paved, concrete, asphalt), the kind of driving you'll be doing (sporty and aggressive or cruising on the highway) and how much you want to spend on new tires, among other considerations.
Are you looking for an all season tire or one that performs well in very bad winter conditions?
One thing to note, according to Edmonds, is that tire pricing is largely determined by a couple of things: the compounds that the tires themselves are made of and how much research and development a tire company puts into creating those tires.
Enlarge ImageWhen shopping for tires online, consumers need to take into account the cost of mounting and balancing them.
Tire Rack"Tires are like a lot of other products, you get what you pay for," Edmonds says. "When you are buying a tire that is more expensive, that tire has more engineering and technical development behind it. All those things make them perform properly."
He also notes that the minimum advertised price or MAP price is the lowest tire price that any resellers are permitted to sell tires at. If you find a discounted tire on sale, it's likely because those tires are older and being replaced by a newer model.
"There's nothing wrong with 2-year-old tires that have been properly stored before being sold," Edmonds says. He notes that proper storage means that the tires have been stored in a temperature-controlled space inside, out of the weather and sun.
Enlarge ImageOlder tires being sold on closeout are fine as long as they've been stored properly.
Tire RackMost tire manufacturers (not the resellers) offer treadwear warranties, but as Edmonds notes, they tend to be really difficult to take advantage of because there are often a lot of caveats. You also have to take advantage of the warranty directly through the manufacturer, rather than the tire retailer you purchase it through.
Most installers will offer additional road hazard warranties that cover things like a flat tire as a result of a pothole or nail in the road. These vary from company to company -- some offer them for free, while others charge a premium for them.
Be sure you read about the warranties and how to take advantage of them before purchasing tires.
One other thing to consider, as Petersen points out: The big difference between purchasing tires at a brick-and-mortar store and an online store is the variety of selection. "Online retailers provide lots of different models and sizes of tire that are likely to fit your car. Brick-and-mortar retailers aren't going to have every model you might want to consider and if they did, all chances are they wouldn't necessarily have them in the size you need," he says.
Enlarge ImageA big benefit to venturing online to buy tires is the ability to purchase a wide variety of tires and sizes.
Tire RackUltimately, getting tires has become easier in the days of online shopping and delivery. With plenty of places to choose from, buying tires online can be an equally good choice as getting them at a tire shop as long as the tires you want and need are in stock.
While prices can vary slightly, Petersen says, it pays more to haggle on prices for installation, warranties and other things. Tire prices are largely set in stone by the manufacturer and installers rarely have any wiggle room to negotiate.
"I always tell people to look at the total cost of getting new tires," Petersen says. "Regardless of what tires you get, you can usually save money on the installation, warranty, rotation, alignment or other offers that the installer provides."
If you have a hard time finding tires, your best bet is to try online retailers like Tire Rack and have the tires drop-shipped to one of its local installers. If you need tires immediately, you might do better by hitting up a brick-and-mortar shop nearby -- but be sure to check inventory and its installation appointments online before heading out.
Written by Abigail Bassett for Roadshow.
© Source:.
autoshini.com
14 Feb 2022, 18:33
Can cheap tires provide a sufficient level of safety? Which summer wheels are better in terms of price-quality ratio? It's time to find answers to all these questions.
It is not easy to choose the optimal set of tires in a given size, if there are at least several dozen models in the offer of manufacturers. In the labyrinth of products, it is worth following three main selection criteria that will allow you to find the tires that are most suitable for your car.
Among the summer tires of the premium segment in size 185/65 R15, Bridgestone Turanza T005 should be highlighted. Tires performed very well when testing sizes designed for city and small cars. In terms of driving performance, the Japanese offering is ideal for all summer conditions, both wet and dry. So Tire Bridgestone 185/65 R15 you can expect short braking distances and excellent grip when driving dynamically.
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Bridgestone also does well in terms of durability and acoustic comfort, but there are better deals to be found in those categories. Turanza T005 is not cheap, but the rubber fully pays for the costs incurred due to the highest driving performance. Definitely worth paying extra for.
Uniroyal RainExpert 3 immediately attracts attention with its asymmetric tread pattern with an aggressive yet very attractive appearance. Fortunately, aesthetics are not the only strong point of the American manufacturer's model. The product belongs to a rather small group of summer tires with the designation "rain", which means that the wheels have been designed to give the best results on wet roads.
The Uniroyal excels in this competition, offering short braking distances and high aquaplaning resistance. Dry results are slightly worse, but still decent compared to the competition. The RainExpert 3 seems like a smartly built tire for riders who know how slippery wet surfaces can be in the summer.
Firestone Roadhawk is an offering in the same price range as the Uniroyal RainExpert 3, but with slightly different benefits. The product of the American brand performs well on dry surfaces, which is confirmed by the best partial result in the test of sixteen 185/65 R15 tires carried out by the German automobile club ADAC. 9The 0003
Firestone also offers top class wet braking distances, making this model a versatile choice. On the other hand, the Roadhawk performs averagely in tests for durability, fuel efficiency and acoustic comfort. Firestone tires try to get the best possible grip on their budget at the expense of other parameters.
Debica Presto HP2 is one of the newest models in the range of the Polish brand and more expensive solutions compared to Debica Passio 2 - the second rubber offered in size 185/65 R15 .
The offer of the Presto line is described by the manufacturer as tires that perform particularly well on wet surfaces and have a long service life.
In 2021, the German magazine Auto Bild tested the potential of the tire against 19 competitors in size 205/55 R16. The effect was unexpected, as Debica took a high, fourth place and was awarded the title of the most profitable rubber in the ranking. So with a high degree of probability we can say that in a slightly smaller size 185/65 R15 Debica Presto HP2 will also show itself well.
Another notable budget tire in size 185/65 R15 is the Kumho Ecowing ES01. The product of the Korean brand in its design tries to find a reasonable compromise between driving performance and operating economy. To do this, it offers a high "B" class according to the EU label, both in terms of fuel efficiency and wet grip.
The data from the data plate is also reflected in the test results, in which the Kumho stands out for particularly good service life and satisfactory, though not leading, results in wet and dry grip.
Thus, Ecowing ES01 wheels are designed for drivers who are looking for an economical tire for city driving.
When choosing, many drivers are guided primarily by the price criterion. For this reason, it is worth considering which tires in the lowest price range can guarantee decent safety parameters? Among the cheapest of the cheapest, the freshest product of the Chinese brand Triangle, called TE301, is in the lead.
While Chinese tires should normally be treated with caution, it is worth noting that Triangle 185/65 R15 is China's largest tire manufacturer and technology leader in the industry. The wheels are in great demand, which is why they were able to take part in the Auto Bild braking distance test (205/55 R16) and took a position in the middle of the rating, which should be considered a good result at a very low price.
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The bike is equipped with front and rear electronic locking differentials.
If you want to drive on difficult terrain such as gravel, mud, snow or mud, or plan to drive on the road, you need to use a differential lock, i.e. axles and locks. These diffs are only used when you need extra traction so you can easily use it multiple times during your off-road adventures. Axles and locks help maintain the momentum of the bike and prevent it from getting stuck.
Inner tubes are one of the most important parts of your bike tires. In fact, this is an inflatable ring that fits into the body of the tire. Inflated inner tubes provide structural support and suspension. The tube is easily inflated with a valve. The inner tube performs the function of air cushioning and provides a comfortable and safe ride.
Wheels and rims are often used interchangeably for the same meaning; however, they are technically different.
The rim is not the whole wheel, but part of it. The spokes are the connecting rods between the rim and the hub of the bike.
The main purpose of rims and spokes is to transfer the loads created by the rider or bicycle between the hub and the rim.
When choosing a bicycle tire, you must first match the wheel and rim diameter of the bicycle to the tire. Most rods, mountain bikes and cruisers use tires with a diameter of 26 inches.
If you are using a tubeless tyre, you will need tubeless wheels for your bike. More and more mountain bikers are opting for bikes with tubeless tires these days.
A set of wheels and wheel caps in in good working order can greatly enhance your performance. Almost all cyclists want to make their bikes as light as possible. Therefore, when choosing a wheelset for your bike, you must consider its weight, stiffness, and durability.
